Reel adjusting means for combination harvester and threshing machines



Sept. 21, 1954 K. L. MAGEE 2,689,443

REEL ADJUSTING MEANS FOR COMBINATION HARVESTER AND THRESHING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ZSnventor KF/wvsn/ 1.. Mn:

Sept. 21, 1954 K. L. MAGEE 2,689,443

REEL ADJUSTING MEANS FOR COMBINATION HARVESTER AND THRESHING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nncntor KeW/venv 4. M065:

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 REEL ADJUSTING MEANS FOR COMBINA- TION HARVESTER AND THRESHING MA- CHINES Kenneth L. Magee, Burlington, Iowa, assignor to J. I. Case, Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 5, 1951, Serial No. 213,863

8 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to improvements in adjusting mechanisms for a combination harvester and threshing machine and more particularly to means within easy reach of the operator of a tractor for raising or lowering the reel of the harvester during advance of the machine.

The primary object of the present invention is to improve the operation and construction of mechanism of this class.

A further object is to provide means for adjusting the cutter bar and the harvester reel independently in such a manner that the reel may be maintained at its best operating position with respect to the cutter bar, and for adjusting both the cutter bar and the reel simultaneously without substantially disturbing their relative positions with respect to each other.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the attached specification and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is left side elevation of a combine harvester embodying the present invention, certain portions of the machine being broken away to more clearly show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with parts removed, to more clearly illustrate the reel adjusting means of the present invention slightly enlarged;

Fig. 3' is a view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with parts removed and broken away to more clearly show the details in construction;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of certain mechanism indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlargement of the lever and locking mechanism shown in Fig. 2 with parts removed and with parts in section;

Fig. 6 is a front view with parts in section of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings the combine embodying the present invention comprises in the present instance a main body or housing 10 movably supported by transversely spaced wheels ll only one of which is shown and includes on one side a frame or drawbar I2 of any conventional or suitable construction which has the usual connection adjacent the forward end thereof for connection to a tractor or other suitable propelling means. The main body or housing I 0 contains the usual threshing and cleaning mechanisms which can be of any convention-al or suitable construction, not shown.

A swinga-ble header or cutting mechanism is designated generally by the number l3 and comprises the usual supporting'member 14 having spaced side walls l5 and IS, an intervening raddle or conveying apron l1, and a forwardly and transversely disposed cutter bar or sickle [8, see also Fig. 3. This assembly is vertically adjustable at its forward end about the axis of a shaft l9, which also drives the conveyor H, to thereby vary the height at which the grain is cut by the sickle I8, the cut of grain falling into the conveyor to be carried rearwardly intothe threshing and cleaning mechanism in "a manner well known in the art.

A reel 20 of any conventional or suitable construction is supported for rotation about a substantially transverse axis above the sickle I8 by arms 2! which extend rearwardly and are secured in forwardly extending tubular arms 22 and 23 of a conventional bail 24 by means of pins or other suitable means 25. The ball is journaled in a sleeve 26 which is carried above the supporting member I4 for permitting swinging of the reel in a vertical are above the sickle l8. The arms 2| are provided with spaced openings 21 for permitting fore-and-aft adjustment of the reel with respect to the sickle 18 as is usual in header constructions.

For gathering crops at different heights, header mechanism I3 is adjustable, being pivoted to the body 10 about the axis of the shaft I9 as previously suggested. Swinging of the header 13 up and down accordingly does not disturb the relationship between the driving and driven rollers of the conveyor I! as well known in the art. The header is counterbalanced by a bifurcated brace member 28, extending underneath the header and pivoted at the front of the body portion 10. Member 28 includes arms 29 and 30 which are urged upwardly by counterbalancing springs 3| anchored rearwardly to some convenient portion of the body I0, and pulling rearwardly against arm 32, fixed with above mentioned member 28. The arms 29 and 30 are connected with the underside of the header l3 as by links or other suitable means 33. 'The tension of the springs 3| may be regulated by any conventional or suitable means, not shown, so that the header 13 may be substantially balanced by the upward thrust of the arms 29 and 30. Header l3 will accordingly float over the ground with a minimum amount of pressure thereon.

Drawlbar I2 supports regulating means for the adjustment of the height of header IS. A standard 34, suitably secured with drawbar I2, is provided for carrying a quadrant 35 fixedtherewith and with drawbar 12. A lever 36 is pivoted 0 1 the standard 34 as by a pin 31 or the like,

3 and has a rearward extension 38 extending over a laterally extending portion 39 of the header l3. To look the header in adjusted position and to make the regulating means rigid enough for this purpose, extension'fit has a-brace'portion til secured forwardly by pin 31 to the opposite side of standard 34, and lever 35 has a clevis and latch of suitable or well known construction gen erally designated as #42 for well known purposes. Extension 38 of lever 36 is"connected with later-- ally extending portion 33 of header l3 by means of a link or other suitable means 33 whereupon swinging movement of the lever 3t about' the pin 37 will initiate movemeht' ofthe header- E3 either upwardly or downwardly about the axis of shaft [9 as well known in theart. I

For the purpose of adjusting the reel independently of the header l3 in such a manner that-the reel may be maintained at its best operating position with respect to the sickle'during advance of the machine; a reel adjusting mechanism generally designated id is provided." Specificallyreel adjusting means-44 comprises in the present instance a rock shaft 45 having a pair of 'armstti and 4?, see Fig.4 Rock-shaft 45 is rotatably journaled in bearings tt 'whichin turn are suitably fixed to the drawbar 12 so 'as te-"position rock shaft 45 substantially transverse tothedirection of travel of the machine.- Bell -cranks lil and 53, preferably in the'formof spaced apart triangular-shaped metal plates are fixed adjacent the ends of a shaft 51 in substantially aligned relationship and shaft 5| is 'rotatably carried in suitable brackets 52 depending from opposite sides of header l3 so as to position" shaft *5] substansuitable reel supporting-links 5 5, of any well 1 known construction. r Counter-balancesprings 55, Fig. 2, are anchored between suitable brackets 55 secured rearwardly to the-header i3 and arms 57 pivotal-1y secured-by-mea'ns of bolts or other suitable means 5'l =to belr'cranks G9 and 5!) respectively. It will be appreciated that as i the reel '29 "is'low'er'ed, 'as will be explained hereinafter, the

springs 55 will'be placednnder tension, inthe present instance; and will serve as a counterbalance to assist in elevating thereelJ T For rocking rock shaft GE'asliding control rod 58 is provided. 'Rod 58 is pivotally secured adjacent one end thereof 'b'y-means' of a bolt orother suitable meanst substantially adjacent the end of the arm i! and is'provi'ded adjacent the other end thereof with a suitable hand grip 69 located within easy reach o f-an operator of 'atractoror other propelling -means,- it being understood that the machine in the present instance iscoupled to the tractor by connecting the clevis of drawbar l2 to the drawbar of the tractor in-a manner well known in the art. The lever-581s slidable in an eyelet 6t which has a'shank portion 6W which in turn is slidably carried in forwardly'extending flanges 62 and 62 -fof achannel bracket 53. The channel bracket 63- is fixed as by welding or the like to a rearwardly inclining standard 64 which is rigidly secured to drawbar l2 so as to support rod 58 in an upwardly and forwardly inclined position. It will be appreciated that sliding movement of the rod 58 in the eyelet ti will rock rock shaft 45 forwardly or rearwardly for initiating movement of the reel 29, either upwardly or downwardly as will be more clearly explained hereinafter.

The rod 58 has formed. therein a plurality of spaced openings 65 and the bracket E3 has fixed thereto a substantially upwardly extending lock pin or the like 66 for engagement in one or the other of openings for locking the rod at selected positions with respect to the eyelet 3 I. As will be apparent varying positions of rod 58 with respect to eyelet 6| will result in various positions of rock shaft tfi'when pin (it is engaged in one of the openings 65, and this through link 53, bell cranks-49 and 50,- and supporting links 5s, will result in various positions of the reel with respecttothe sickle [8. A spring "3? encircles the shank portion fil and is compressed between the flange 62 and a stop 58 fixed to shank portion fil for urging the eyelet'against the flange $52 of bracket 63 and consequently locking rod 56 against sliding movement when the pin $8 is engaged in one or the other of openings Reel 2i! is driven in the direction indicated by means of a suitable belt or the like 59 which is trained around a driving pulley it secured adjacentone end-of shaft 19 and a driven pulley H which is secured adjacent the corresponding end of the reel as as well known in the art. Suitable idler p-ulleys'it are resiliently trained against belt 69 for keeping belt 59 taut at all times regardless of the adjustments of the reel it with respect to the header I3. r

- In the operation of the above described harvesting and threshingmachineit is often necessary to adjust the height -:of the sickle it with respect to the ground during forward travel of the machine." Toward'this end the header l3 can be pivotally raisedor lowered about the axis of the shaft [9 by actuating the clevis and latch mechanismll2 so as to unlatch the lever at from its locked relationship with respect to the quadrant 35 and-'then swinging the lever 36 either forwardly or rearwardly for lifting or lowering the header 13 as well known in the art. Upon reaching the proper elevation for-the header it, the lever 38 is again locked with respect to movement about :pin 3% bymeans of the clevis and latch mechanism d2. It wi-ll'be noted that any movement initiated to the header: 3 by means of swingling movements of the lever 36 has no'effect upon the rock shaft 55. It will be further noted that the rock shaft .45. is not co-axial with respect to the axis of the shaft l9 so that upon upwardly swing-.- ing movement of :the header is, link 53 is put in tension for-rocking bell cranks it rearwardly, the

amount of rocking motion imparted to bell crank '49 being-indirect proportion to the amount of movement initiated to the lever 38 for swinging the header upwardly. It will therefore be apparent that upon upward swinging movement of the header l3, reel 2!! will be swung in the samedirection a distance equal to the distance moved by the header I3 plus adistance in the same direction determined by the amount of rocking movement imparted to bell crank 59 by the tensionexerted on link which in the usual range of adjustmentis relatively slight andof no consequence. Upondownward swinging movement of header I 3,

..link.53 is in compression and the reelis lowered instead of raised, a distance equal to the distance moved by header is plus a distance in proportion to the amount of downward swinging movement initiated to the bell crank 49 caused by the compression of link 53. This downward swinging movement of the reel caused by compression of link 53 is also so slight as to be of no consequence and for substantially all operations the header and the reel are simultaneously adjusted without substantially changing their relative positions with respect to each other.

For swinging the reel downwardly with respect to the sickle I8 of the header, the operator from his position on the tractor and while the tractor is in motion, grasps the hand grip 68 of rod 58 and exerts sufficient force upwardly upon the eyelet 6| to overcome the force exerted by the spring 61 so that pin 66 is disengaged from one or the other of openings 65. Upon unlocking of rod 58, the operator pushes upon the rod so as to push the rod against the arm 41 of the rock shaft 45, so as to swing the arm 46 forwardly. Forward movement of arm 46 rocks bell crank 49 forwardly or counterclockwise by means of link 53, bell crank 50 being moved substantially the same distance in the same direction by means of shaft 5|. The supporting links 54 are consequently pulled downwardly a distance in proportion to the counterclockwise movement of the bell cranks 49 and 50 and the reel 20 is biased downwardly, limited only by the resistance exerted by the bell cranks upon supporting links 54. When the operator wishes to lock the movement of the reel 20 with respect to sickle 18, he stops exerting an upward force upon the rod 58 whereupon the force exerted by spring 61 will maintain the rod 58 in frictiona1 contact with the pin 66 and then upon slight movement either forwardly or rearwardly, pin 66 can be engaged in the opening 65 in closest proximity to the selected point of adjustment. To raise the reel 2|] with respect to the sickle I8 the operator disengages the rod 58 from pin 66 in a manner as already described and pulls the rod forwardly through the eyelet 6| so as to pull or swing the arm 4! forwardly. Upon forward swinging movement of arm 41, arm 46 is swung rearwardly so as to rock bell crank 49, and consequently bell crank 50 and shaft 5|, rearwardly Or in a clockwise direction by means of link 53. Rearward swinging of bell cranks 49 and 50 lifts the reel 20 by means of supporting links 54, the amount of lift imparted to the reel 20 being in proportion to the clockwise movement of the bell cranks 49 and 5G.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a harvester having a forwardly extending drawbar, a swingable header pivoted for vertical adjustment about an axis, a reel disposed above said header and mounted for adjustment about a transverse axis, a rock shaft having a pair of arms and rotatably carried by said drawbar, a bell crank rotatably carried by said swingable header adjacent said drawbar, a link for connecting one arm of said rock shaft to said bell crank, supporting means between the other arm of said bell crank and the reel for swinging the reel upon rotative movement of the bell crank, a foreand-aft control rod slidably secured with respect to said drawbar and secured to the other arm of said rock shaft upon sliding movement of said rod, and means for locking said rod against movement.

2. In an implement having a body, a drawbar extending forwardly therefrom for connection with a propelling means, a header on said body for pivotal movement about a transverse axis, said header including a sickle secured forwardly thereto, and a reel rotatably carried for swinging movement in a substantially vertical are on said body, the improvement comprising a reel adjusting means for adjusting the height of said reel with respect to said body, comprising a rock shaft rotatably carried by said drawbar substantially transverse to the direction of travel of said machine, said rock shaft havin one arm secured adjacent each end thereof, a shaft rotatably car ried adjacent the underside of said header and substantially transverse to the direction of movement of said machine, bell cranks fixed adjacent the opposite ends of said shaft laterally of said header, a link for connecting one arm of one of said bell cranks to one arm of said rock shaft, supporting links connecting the other arm of said bell crank and the corresponding arm of said other bell crank to said reel for swinging said reel upon rotatable movement of said bell cranks, a standard secured to said drawbar, an eyelet on said standard, a control rod slidable in said eyelet and secured to the other arm of said rock shaft whereupon sliding movement of saidrod in said eyelet will initiate a rocking motion in said rock shaft for rotating said bell crank in one direction, and means for preventing sliding movement of said rod with respect to said eyelet for locking said rock shaft against movement for positioning said reel in various adjusted positions with respect to said sickle.

3. A locking means for use with an implement having a drawbar, a rock shaft carried by said drawbar and rockable about a transverse axis, and a control rod connected to said rock shaft for rocking said rock shaft upon fore-and-aft movement of said rod, said rod having formed thereon spaced openings, a substantially upwardly extending standard secured to said drawbar, an eyelet surrounding said rod and having a shank portion slidably supported with respect to said standard, a pin fixed with respect to said standard and selectively engageable in one of said openings for locking said rod against sliding movement relative to said eyelet, and resilient means for selectively urging one of said openings into engagement with said pin.

4. A locking means for use with an implement having a drawbar, a rock shaft carried by said drawbar and rockable about a transverse axis, a control rod pivotally connected to one arm of said rock shaft for rocking said rock shaft upon fore-and-aft movement of said rod, said rod having formed on the under surface thereof spaced openings, an upwardly extending standard secured to said drawbar, a flanged bracket fixed to said standard, an eyelet having a shank portion upwardly and slidably supported in said flanged bracket for slidably supporting said rod, a pin fixed to said flanged bracket in longitudinal alignment with said eyelet and engageable in one of said openings for locking said rod against sliding movement with respect to said eyelet, and means for continuously urging said eyelet downwardly in said flanged bracket for urging said rod into engaging relationship with said. pin.

5. A locking means for use with an implement having a drawbar, a rock shaft carried by said drawbar and rockable about a transverse axis, and a control rod pivotally connected to one arm on said rock shaft for rocking said rock shaft upon substantially fore-and-aft movement of said rod, said rod having formed therein spaced openmes; anupwardi e ten ng and dy ec i d to said drawb'ar, a flanged bracket fixed to said standard, an eyelet having a shank portion slidably su ported in said bracket for slidably supporting said rod, said shank portion having formed thereon a step, a pin fixed to said flanged bracket and engageable in one of the openings of said rod for. locking said rod against sliding movement, and a spring encircling said shank portion between saidst'op and one of the flanges of sai'dfiang e'd bracket for continuously urging said rod against said pin.

6. In andmplementhaving a drawbar and a fore and-aft ad usting ,member, said adjusting member provided with downwardly directed openings, an upwardly extending standard se-' cured to said ,drawb'a'r, a bracket on said standard, an eyelet member freely surrounding said adjusting member alnd provided with a shank slidabie in said bracket, an upwardly directed pinselectively engageable in said openings and secured to said standard and resilient means surrounding said shank t'o urge said eyelet memher, downwardly to engage one of said openings sa n e fl. In an implement having a frame and an adjusting ,member f or fore-and-aft adjustment, said adjusting memberpr'ovided with a plurality of downwardly direeted openings, an upwardlydireoted standard secured to said frame, an eyelet member freely surrounding said adjusting member and provided with a shank slidable on said standard, a leeking" member secured to said standard I for selective engagement with said opening memberupon engagement with one of said: openings with said locating member, and resilient means co operating with said shank to urge said adjusting member into engagement with said locking member.

8, In an implement having a frame and an adjusting member for fore-and-aft adjustment, said adjusting member provided with a plurality of openings longitudinally spaced thereon, a standard seouredto said frame, guide means for said adjusting member, a locking member secured to said standard, and resilient means to urge said adjustable member toward said locking member to engage one of said openings with said locating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 576,195 Peek Sept. 8, 1896 732,994 A ppleby July 7, 1903 1,621,773 Fetch'er Mar. 2-2, 1927 1,794,720 Mays'ent Mar. 3, 1931 1,945,009 waish et a1 Jan. 30, 1934 2,199,629 Heth et al; May 7, 19% 2,226,563 Keith Dec. 31, 19 .19 2,345,847 Wink "1-. Apr. 1, 19% 2,510,425 Sieverding June 6, 1950 

